Walsenburg Police make drug arrest

by Larry Patrick
WALSENBURG- Walsenburg Police were called to the Sands Motel late Friday night on a noise complaint. What they found was much larger. Upon arrival, they found eight males having a party in the apartment of 18 year old Alexis Parker. Police apparently found small amounts of marijuana in the apartment and arrested Laqun Murphy at the scene. Police Chief, James Chamberlain also said a juvenile was detained for underage consumption.
Myra Rousseau, co-owner of the Sands Motel told the Huerfano World Journal that after police let some of the young men go, she found many packets of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia at the scene and showed it to police. Such an amount could be worth hundreds of dollars. Police were unable to confirm the amount to the World Journal saying the investigation is still underway. Police are apparently trying to talk to some of the people they let leave the scene prior to the crack cocaine being found.
Parker was handcuffed at the scene but Rosseau said she was surprised when police let Parker go after she allegedly screamed that she was related to important people in the county. Police deny any favoritism but did release her at the scene.
Parker was featured recently in a Denver Post front page story about the struggles of being a teen mom, in an article about teen pregnancy and teen parenthood. It featured the work that her grandmother, Debbie Channel of La Veta, has done with numerous teenage girls in Huerfano County over the years, in trying to instill confidence and preventing the pitfalls that teenage pregnancy can have on their lives.
Rousseau says the Sands Motel does not tolerate drugs on their premises and has taken action to have Parker evicted from her apartment.